Notes from East Hill Elementary

This page provides thoughts and commentary from Susan Meskos, the Principal of East Hill Elementary School in the West Genesee Central School District.

Dear East Hill Families,

As we head into this season of gratitude, I am truly humbled by the incredible generosity of our school community. Thanks to your support, our recent Community Giving Food Drive was a tremendous success. I am thrilled to share that the donations from our East Hill families filled an entire pallet that was overflowing with food for the Food Bank of Central New York. Your kindness will make a meaningful difference for many families in our area—thank you from the bottom of my heart.

In that same spirit of giving, I want to express my gratitude for any contributions you can provide to our Holiday/Winter Gift Card Drive. Your donations help spread a little extra cheer and provide much-needed support during what can be a challenging time of year for so many. Every gift makes a difference and is deeply appreciated.

I would also like to take a moment to encourage everyone to complete the East Hill Family Climate Survey. This is a valuable opportunity for us to hear your voice and gather feedback so we can continue to grow and improve as a school community. Your input helps us be responsive to the needs of our families and ensure that East Hill remains a place where everyone feels welcome and supported.

It has been so wonderful to see so many of you in the building recently for parent-teacher conferences. These meetings are a vital way to strengthen our partnerships and work together in support of your child’s success. I deeply value the relationships we share and am grateful for the role you play in making our school such a special place.

As we prepare for the Thanksgiving break, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a holiday filled with joy, love, and relaxation. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you and for all that you do to support our students, staff, and school.

Warmest wishes,
Susan Meskos

• November 22, 25-26 - Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences-Half-Day for Elementary Students Only - Dismissal at 11:15 am
• November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Recess
• December 2 - Chorus Concert - WGHS Auditorium - 7pm

Aubree Miller, Lea Brown, Jimmy Bloss, Cassidy Meany, Austin Lynet, Carter Lindquist, Easton Eckhard, Donald Tran, and Riley Tripp

Due to parent/teacher conferences, November 22, 25 and 26 are half days of school for elementary schools only. Dismissal begins at 11:15. Please plan accordingly and notify the office of any dismissal changes.

The cooler weather is upon us! Please keep in mind that our students will continue to go outside for recess daily. If the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above, recess can take place outside. If the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (this includes factoring in the WINDCHILL), recess will be indoors. Students should always have appropriate clothing for the weather each day: Coat, boots, snow pants, hat, and gloves.

Also, please remember to label your child's cold-weather clothing. You will be so glad you did!

Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-2026 school year will open on December 4, 2024 and will go until March 28, 2025.

Watch for registration information on the Central Registration webpage. If you have any questions, email the Central Registrar at centralregistrar@westgenesee.org, or call Central Registration at (315) 487-4683.

When registering, parents/guardians should be prepared to upload the following:

• Two proofs of residency (i.e. mortgage or property statement or signed lease agreement, utility bill )

• proof of age

A physical examination and proof of immunizations are also required for entry into kindergarten and a dental certificate is requested for entry into kindergarten. These examinations should be done up to one year prior to the first day of school. Children who enter kindergarten this fall must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2025.

To access the most updated health requirements click here.

Our District values your feedback! We will be asking you to take a brief survey to tell us about your experience with the West Genesee Central School District. To ensure we continue to provide high quality, rigorous learning experiences that meet the needs of our learners and prepare them for college and career, we need your feedback. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses as they inform our Strategic Planning decision-making processes. The survey window will be open until December 16, 2024.

East Hill Family-School Relationships Survey:

https://surveys.panoramaed.com/westgeneseeny/7968334994/surveys

Yearbooks can now be ordered. Visit Lifetouch to order yours today. Yearbook ID Code: 14658725

Is your ParentSquare post feed cluttered? Would your feed to show only the schools you choose? Here is how:

Using a Web Browser

1. If you have children at more then one school, you can switch to a different school. Click Switch School in the upper left and choose the school that has the class you want to view.
2. Click the drop-down arrow next to My School, Classes, And Groups in upper right.
3. Select the class or group.

Using the ParentSquare Mobile App

1. Tap the three bars at top left.
2. Tap Classes to view the class posts. Tap Groups to view group posts.
3. Select the class or group name.

Announcements about school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissal will be posted on the News Headlines section of the District website home page. They will also be broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the following stations which you can access by clicking here.

Also, ParentSquare communications software allows us to send emails, texts, and make phone calls. (Phone calls will be used for emergency situations only.)

Parent/Guardians and staff will NOT need to sign-up to receive information from schools that you are registered for in Schooltool. (You will have the option to opt-out if you choose not to receive emails, texts, and/or phone calls. To receive texts, you also have to opt-in per the instructions in the Tips article below.)

We are pleased to announce that all students enrolled at West Genesee CSD will be able to continue to receive one FREE breakfast and one FREE lunch meal per day at school.

This initiative was implemented in December 2023 and was a result of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanding access to the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP allows eligible schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to offer school meals at no charge to all students.

Snacks and ice cream are an additional cost.

• Chips $1.00
• Cookie $1.25
• Ice Cream $1.50
• Rice Krispie Treat $1.25
• Fruit Roll Up $1.00
• Milk $.75

For any and all information pertaining to breakfast and/or lunch, including the process of MySchoolBucks please visit the district's food service website!